The present invention relates to a diverter assembly that is particularly useful for handling sheets of photographic film, for example.
Various kinds of diverter assemblies are known for redirecting a sheet of material from one path into another path while the sheet is being transported through a mechanism. Diverters for non-photographic sheets are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,472,507, issued Oct. 14, 1969. This patent relates to a rotary diverter sorter that is especially useful for sorting flat articles rapidly and in large numbers. The sorted articles may comprise punch cards, postal letters, checks, coupons, transportation tickets or other documents read by optical or magnetic character reading machines. The articles are driven along an entrance path between a pair of drive belts and into engagement with a rotary diverter that can be rotated in either of two directions so that the leading edge of the article can be deflected by the diverter along either of two exit paths. The articles are directed into the nip between an idler roller and one of the drive belts or between a second idler roller and the other drive belt. Some diverter assemblies require the sheet to be bent through severe angles, and if a photographic film is bent at a severe angle it may be subjected to excessive pressure and other forces which can damage the emulsion on the film. Thus there is a need for a diverter assembly for handling photographic film which will divert the film from one path into another path with a high degree of reliability.